Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
I don't know. The Bible says its a promise, a gift. I'm surprised when people don't receive the Holy Ghost. The biblical examples don't seem to leave anyone out or anyone at the altar frustrated because they haven't received the Holy Ghost--it leads me to believe that:
1. People are seeking signs instead of God (tongues), which has corrupted the authenticity of the process, and,
2. We are lacking the power of the first church.
Although, I know that there are a couple of places where people "tarried" until the Holy Ghost fell upon them. We can wonder and suppose and conjecture, would God have allowed them to be lost if they had all died before the Holy Ghost fell? And does that mean the Holy Ghost isn't essential? I believe God is more faithful than that.
I don't have all the answers. My husband didn't receive the Holy Ghost until well after he had been baptized, at home, by himself. Would I go so far as to say he would have been lost between baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost? I don't know. I think God is a just God, and judges people appropriately, even outside His own lines. He'll have mercy upon whom He will have mercy, but in the meantime, we should be following His commandments and the examples of the apostles to the best of our ability.
I don't believe we should look in the Bible and find loopholes for those who haven't received the Holy Ghost or been baptized, but rather, try to find out how we are to reach OUT to those who haven't received the Holy Ghost or been baptized.
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I agree. I am surprised at the efforts within Pentecostal churches to minimize the importance of Holy Ghost baptism. That experience is our identifier.
The biblical model Peter preached is as follows.
Early Part of
Acts 2 = Strong Gospel preaching that led to conviction and an inner questioning as to how to respond to what Jesus did for them.
2:37 "What shall we do?"
Good preaching always answers this question, The Gospel message is meaningless unless it is responded to PROPERLY. Peter was very specific in his preaching to them.
2:38 Two commands: "Repent and be baptized." These commands were given after their questioning faith found a voice. Peter went so far as to give their responses salvational implications when he said "for the remission of sins."
2:38b "And
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Promise, promise, promise. It is a guarantee. It will happen. Why would anyone doubt it? Minimize it? Circumvent it? Quench it?
2:39 "The
promise is unto you"
Two commands and a promise. God does not lie.
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